Officers and Board Members

Learn a bit more about our TVBA Officers and Board Members. Big thanks to everyone who lends a hand and helps make TVBA rock and roll!

Officers

PRESIDENT

Kirby Jay Carmichael wears many hats. First and foremost is that of a teacher. He taught K-12 Art for the Catholic Diocese and opened his own art education studio in 2006, teaching more than 60,000 children and adults how to spin clay, melt glass and many other arts for ten years.

In addition to his job as a full-time Professional Bee Remover, Kirby manages colonies for other beekeepers with a focus on education moving toward independence. With a homestead apiary of 20+ colonies, he is always ready to dig into bees and learn more!

He also provides colony maintenance contracts in nearby counties to clients with properties designated for 1-d or 1-d-1 Agricultural use.

Kirby serves as the Representative for North Texas Beekeepers on the Texas A&M AgriLife Advisory Council, Education Director for the Texas Association of Professional Bee Removers and Communication Director for Collin County Hobby Beekeepers Association. "It's all about the bees."

VICE PRESIDENT

When Laura Winters is not outside building something for her homestead she's the General Manager at Rooster Home and Hardware assisting customers with how to can their own produce, how to make compost, build earthworm colonies, protect our native wildlife and so much more.

Laura loves being a part of Trinity Valley Beekeeping Association so that she can learn so much more from the amazing beekeepers that make this association so special.

TREASURER

Matthew Diaz is married to Lara Guerra (the club’s first VP) and has two children.

A former beekeeper, he had to stop for health reasons. He has been a member of the Trinity Valley Beekeepers Association since its re-inception by Alan Eynon and has been an active participant in the club since then.

SECRETARY

John Greiner is a lifelong Dallas resident and ran a successful paint contracting business for almost 50 years. Along the way, he married his high school sweetheart and raised a family- including numerous fur-babies.

Being an avid outdoor sportsman and rancher led him to his love for beekeeping. As a rancher, he tells folks that he owns around 40,000 head--sounds pretty impressive!!

Now into his fourth year beekeeping with 7 hives, he finds rescuing bees to be his latest, newfound sideline. "Let the swarms begin"

Board Members

Christi Baughman

Christi began beekeeping over 15 years ago. Like many novice beekeepers, she started with just a few hives in her backyard.

Having grown up in North Dakota and currently living in Texas, Christi realized she had access to two prime beekeeping locations in the US.

These two locations have led beegirl.biz to become a full-time operation which includes raising nucs and bees, producing North Dakota honey, pollinating almonds in California, and teaching beekeeping classes.

Pat McKannan

Pat is married to his wife Eva. He lived and was raised in Kentucky.

Pat spent 48 years working for the bell system before retiring.

"I got into beekeeping probably because of my memories of my father doing it."

Mark Baty

Mark has never met a stranger. With a smile and enthusiasm that shine bright, he stands out in a crowd. When Mark heads your way be prepared for a lengthy conversation about plants, bees and Trinity Valley's future.

He thinks big- almost as big as his personality! You'll be hard pressed to think of a bigger at Trinity Valley than this guy :)

Laura Winters

From the moment Laura was born she was outside making mud pies and burying insects that had passed on.

With a background of playing guitar and singing she's now a passionate gardener, beekeeper, and chicken tenderer.

Ryan Giesecke

Ryanowns and operates G-Bar Naturals, an urban homestead project in East Dallas. He offers homegrown products and learning opportunities, as well as performing bee-friendly removals of honey bees and bumble bees as “Honey Bee Relocation Services."

Ryan is a certified Texas Master Beekeeper, and trained with the North Texas Master Naturalists, is past president of TVBA and Metro Beekeepers, and is current president of the TX Association of Professional Bee Removers.

Chris Chance

Chris has over 25 years of experience in IT and entrepreneurship and brings a profound passion for beekeeping to the forefront of his beekeeping venture, Oak Cliff Bee Company.

As a seasoned beekeeper and part of the Texas Master Beekeeper program, he stands distinguished for his innovative and forward-thinking approaches to apiculture.

His extensive knowledge, combined with a deep commitment to the well-being of bees and sustainable practices, has been a driving force behind the advancement of Oak Cliff Bee Company's mission.

Chris's wealth of expertise, emphasis on best practices, utilization of technology, service delivery, and unwavering dedication are invaluable cornerstones in promoting responsible beekeeping practices and fervently advocating for the conservation of these essential pollinators.

Jodi Dubuclet

Jodi is awesome!A mother, beekeeper and business professional, she still finds time to put together booths stock-full of products of the hive that are beautifully displayed, diverse and the envy of us all.

Dan Gorrell

Dan, his wife and daughters became accidental beekeepers last year when friends of theirs convinced them to rescue a swarm of bees in their backyard. We had no idea what we were doing or getting into. As urban homesteaders in East Dallas, bees made logical sense. Keeping bees couldn't be that hard, right?

Wrong. "Despite the stings and the steep learning curve, keeping bees was one of the highlights of our year. Our apiary 'magically' grew from 1 to 4 hives the first year...and we plan on growing our apiary in the coming years. We feel incredibly grateful for TVBA and its sweet members that guided us through the joys and challenges of keeping happy bees."

Dan travels all over the world to teach conservation agriculture to communities that experience hunger or food insecurity. Many subsistence farmers wish they could keep bees for additional income but they don't know how to. He looks forward to supporting local subsistence farmers to become increasingly self-sufficient through beekeeping.

Kevin Smith

Kevin is a dedicated beekeeper, passionate birder, and avid naturalist with a deep appreciation for pollinators and their role in biodiversity. When not tending to bees, he can be found with binoculars in hand, observing and documenting bird species.

He shares his knowledge and adventures through engaging videos, capturing the beauty of wildlife, the art of beekeeping, and the wonders of the natural world.